Chair



Oct. 27, 1953 w. H. REINHOLZ CHAIR Filed July 15, 1946 3 Sheets-Shee t l FIG; 6.

FIG. 5.

FIG. 4.

INVENTOR WILLIAM H. REINHOLZ ATTORNEYS Oct. 27, 1953 w. H. REINHOLZ 2,656,878

CHAIR Filed July 15, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 'flob WILLIAM H. REINHOLZ 20 ATTORNEYS Oct. 27, 1953 w. H. REINHOLZ CHAIR 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 15, 1946 FIG. 9

FIG. l0.

FIG. I

INVENTOR WILLIAM H. REINHOLZ ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 27, 1953 CHAIR William H. Reinholz, Altadena,

Calif., assignor to William J. Hubert, Los Angeles, Calif., doing business as Auto-Bye Company Application July 15, 1946, Serial No. 683,651

2 Claims.

This invention has to do with chairs of the type having metal frames made of tubing or bar stock bent into U-shape for resiliency in order to eliminate the necessity of seat springs, and in which the seat and back rest portions are adjustable to obtain Various reclining positions.

It is an object of my invention to provide a chair of this character in which the adjustments may be effected by simply slightly lifting the front portion of the seat support and pushing it backwardly or moving it forwardly.

Another feature of my invention is the construction whereby I am able to obtain such adjustability of the seat and back rest in a chair having a frame of the type above described.

Another object of my invention is to provide a chair of this type which is unusually economical of manufacture, comfortable to use and easy to adjust.

My invention has still further subordinate advantages and features of novelty which will become apparent from the following description of one presently preferred embodiment thereof which I have selected for the purpose of explaining the invention. However, I wish it understood that within the limits of the app-ended claims it is contemplated that my invention may be embodied in other and modified physical forms without departing from its broader scope. For purposes of the ensuing description I shall refer to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevation;

Fig. 2 is a back elevational view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view with part broken away;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-section on line 44 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detail, shown partly in elevation and taken on line 5--5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary detail shown partly in elevation and taken on line 66 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary detail taken on line 'I---! of Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary detail taken on line 8ll of Fig. 2;

Fig. 9 is a plan view of a modified seat and back rest assembly;

Fig. 10 is a view like Fig. 9 with the fabric omitted;

Fig. 11 is an enlarged section on line H-|I Of Fig. 9;

Fig. 12 is an enlarged fragmentary section; and

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary section of the chair assembly showing a modified form of seat frame.

Referring now to the drawings, the main or base frame 5 is composed of a single length of resilient metal tubing bent to form a U-shaped floor-engaging or base portion i, parallel upright front posts 8, backwardly bent parallel arm rest supports 9, and a transverse back rest support H]. The free end portions lea, iilb of the tubing going to form the back rest support it terminate medially between the arm rest supports and in coaxial relationship, being secured together by means of a plug l2, one of whose ends is tapered and is wedge-fitted into the tube end portion I01) and the other of whose ends is of uniform diameter and slidably fits in tube end portion lila. Both ends of the plug are positively held against axial escape from the tubing by bolt and nut arrangements 15, which pass through registering openings in the tubing and through transverse holes in the plug as best shown in Fig. 8. Thus by removing the bolt I5 the free ends lea, lilb may be axially separated at the joint i l and also may be moved laterally with respect to each other.

For the arm rests, a pair of sponge rubber sleeves I! are fitted onto the respective arm rest supports 9, each of the sleeves preferably having a fabric covering H3 (Fig. 4).

The seat-supporting frame 20 is a substantially square frame having rounded corners, composed of a single length of metal tubing whose free ends terminate in coaxial relationship at the joint 2| and are held together by a plug and bolt arrangement 22 identical with the arrangement shown in detail in Fig. 8, except that, if desired, the bolt l5 to hold the tapered end of the plug in the tubing may be omitted.

A seat base 25 consists of a sheet of fabric having looped or sleeve-like marginal portions-25a which slidably fit on the tubing forming the seatsupporting frame. [he loops are large enough to permit them to be moved along the tubing until entirely removed between the free ends of the tubing at the joint it when the plug is removed.

Adjacent the front end of each of the side portions of the seat-supporting frame 26 and to the undersurface thereof, there is secured, as by screws 26, a corrugated or toothed strip 27 adapted to rest upon a cross bar 28, so that the bar engages between contiguous teeth of each strip. The bar 28 extends at its ends through openings in front posts 8 (Figs. 3 and 5).

The rear end portion of the seat-supporting frame is swingably suspended from the arm rest supports 9 by means of bales or links 30. These links have oppositely disposed right-angled end portions 3|, 32; end portion 3| of each link rotatably fitting in a hole 34 in one of the arm rest supporting members 9 and end portion 32 of each link rotatably fitting in a hole 320: through one of the side members of the seat-supporting frame. F

is like 22 just described. A back foundation ML consists of a sheet of fabric having looped or sleeve-like marginal portions 4i slidably fitting on the back rest supporting frame, the loops being large enough that the seat may be applied. to or removed from the frame by sliding movement along the tubing and being passed between the free ends of the tubing at the joint 35 when the bolt arrangement 31 is removed.

The back rest supporting frame is pivotally joined to the seat-supporting frame by means of pins 42., 43 which have flattened inter-engaging eye portions M pivotally secured together as by a rivet. The pins are inserted through holes in the tubing and are threaded. at their outer ends to receive nuts 45 (Fig. 6).

From the foregoing it will be observed that the reclining disposition of the seat and back rest of the chair may be adjusted by simply lifting the front end of the seat-supporting. frame to disengage the teeth of the strips 21 from the cross bar 23, and then moving the seat-supporting frame backwardly or forwardly (as between the full. and dotted line positions of Fig. 1). During this movement links 3i! swing about. their pivotal connections to the. arm rest supporting armsand the seat-supporting frame, and the back. rest supporting frame will swing about the arm I'll as a fulcrum. During the movement of the. back rest supporting frame, said frame will. havev some slight sliding movement over the arm ill and to protect the fabric 49 against wear during this sliding movement, I mount over the fabric on the side arms of the back rest supporting frame, a

pair of metal plates '59 as by means of screws 51' or by any suitable retaining means.

A padded seat and back rest member has its lower portion 68a resting on the seat base sheet 25 and its upper portion 60b resting, against the back rest foundation. 4!). the member as is. held in position on the back rest supporting. frame 35 by means of a pair. of straps whose free ends aresecured' to the members 6s and which pass around the frame. 3b.

In Figs. 9-13 I show a modified form of seat and back rest assembly for use in the baseframe before described. Here,v instead. of the. seat support and back rest support each being a separate closed frame as before described, I form the seat frame Ill and the back rest frame Tl each. in a U'-shape-- that is, each consists of a length of tubing, bent into U-shape. Their contiguous free ends are flattened as shown at Illa, la andprovided with registering holes 13. Ends Illa, I lav are pivotally secured together by a cross rod T4 threaded at its ends to receive nuts 15, a spacer sleeve Tlibeing mounted on the. rod. A single. sheet of fabric 11 forms the seat '18 and the backrest 19, having sleeve-like marginal portions 88 to slid'ably fiton the tubing. The sheet 11' sleeve '16 by a fabric strip 8|. secured to itsundersurface and passing over the sleeve (Fig. 1T)".

Iclaim:

1. In an. adjustable chair, a main frame comprising a single length. of" resilient metal tubing bent to form a U-shaped floor engagingbaseportion, parallel upright front posts, backwardly bent parallel arm rests and a transverse-back restsupport, means securin together the free ends. of said length of tubing, a seat-supporting frame The upper. portion of is. anchored" to the portions of comprising a single length of metal tubing bent into substantially square frame shape, means securing together the free ends of the latter length of tubing, a sheet.v of flexible material secured to and stretched between opposite portions of the seat-supporting frame, a crossbar secured at its ends to said front posts intermediate the ends of the latter, the front portion of said seat-supporting. frame being sl-idably supported upon said crossbar, link members each pivotally secured at one end to one of said arm rests adjacent the rear end thereof and each pivotally secured at its other endto" a side portion of said seat-supporting frame adjacent the rear end of the latter, a back rest supporting frame against said back rest support and comprising a. single length of metal tubing. bent into substantially rectangular frame shape, means securing together the free ends of said latter length of. tubing, the bottom portion of said back rest supporting frame being pivotally secured to the rear portion of said seat-supporting frame, and a sheet of flexible material secured to and stretched between opposite side portions ofsaid back rest supporting frame.

2. In an adjustable chair, a main frame com.- prising a single length of resilient metal tubing bent to form a U-shaped floor-engaging base portion, parallel upright front posts, backwardly bent parallel arm rests and a transverse back rest support. means securing together the free ends of said length of tubing, a seat-supporting frame comprising a single length of metal tubing bent into substantially square. frame shape, means securing together the free ends of the latter length of tubing, 2. seat base comprising a sheet of flexible material secured to and stretched between opposite portions of the seat-supporting frame, a crossbar secured at its ends to said front posts intermediate the ends of. the latter, the front portion of said seat-supporting frame being slidably supported upon said crossbar, link members each pivotally secured at one end to one of said arm rests adjacent the rear end thereof and each pivotally secured at its other. end to a side portion. of said seat-supporting. frame adjacent the rear end. of. the latter, a; back rest supporting frame against said back rest support and comprising a single length. of metal tubing bent into substantially rectangular shape, means securing together the free ends, of the latter length. of tubing, the bottom portion of said back rest supporting framebeing pivotally secured to the rear portion of said seat-supporting frame, a back: rest foundation comprising a. sheet of flexible material secured to and. stretched between opposite side said back rest supporting frame; and a padded element resting partly upon said seat base and partly against said back rest foundation.

WILLIAM H; REINHOLZ'. 

